Ajith’s Daksha team develops India’s first air taxi

The drone taxi project was started two years back by MIT’s 12-member Daksha team, mooted by actor Ajith Kumar. Dr K Senthilkumar, who heads the MIT Aerospace Department, told DT Next on Tuesday that after two years of hard work by the team, the drone movement was successfully implemented.

“It its first attempt, the drone, weighing 120 kg, flew for about 16 minutes with 60 kg dummy weight,” he said. Senthilkumar said that the manoeuvrability of the drone was also good and it was easily controllable by remote. He said the flying demonstration of the drone was done in the presence of Ajith Kumar. “It was done on our campus,” he added.

The MIT head, however, said that further modifications would be carried out on the drone for it to carry more than 80 kg. “We are planning to improve the traveling timing to 30 minutes,” he said, adding the team is planning to give a demonstration at the Global Investors Meet to be held in Chennai.

Senthilkumar said that during the first phase, the drone will be used to carry human organs for transplantation purposes. “We have already given a proposal to the Tamil Nadu government for the project,” he said, adding, “Through Higher Education Minister KP Anbalagan, the proposal has been forwarded to the Health Department for consideration.”

According to the plan, the MIT team will further improve upon the drone, including better battery backup and its appearance. 

Pointing out that the drone taxi was already initiated by several multinational companies across the globe including the Boeing company, he said his team is determined to bring out the project well before those companies.